Sunday, September 30, 2012

News You Can Use . . . If You Can Hear It

In case you forgot due to mass-distraction tactics by the leftist press during this electoral silly season . . .

China and Japan are acting pissy about the islands nearby.  Well, now Taiwan is out with their boats in the water too. 

What's the worst that could happen?!

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth

"The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of islam" - Barack Obama

You know what counts as slander to those who were reared in schools that only teach the students the koran (like Obama went to in Indonesia)?  IF you say Mohammed is a false prophet, that is slander.  IF you say that believing in Allah will not get you to heaven that is slander.  IF you say it is true, that Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by me" then THAT is slander.

Being a Christian is slanderous against the prophet of islam, according to the prophet of islam.  Also being a jew or other non-muslim is slanderous.  Rejecting the new religion he preached is rejecting him, because that is all he was about.  That is why Mohammed led several dozen raids on caravans and neighboring villages, murdering people by their thousands and stealing their stuff - because they would not submit.

Islam is an Arabic word.  In English it means "submission." 

Muslim is an Arabic word.  In English it means "one who submits."

The President has claimed that the future belongs to those who go out in jihad against the Christians, Jews, Buddhists, etc. (non-muslims), because according to Mohammed's word AND example, that is true Islam.  He is, in fact, inciting the protesting mobs in the Middle East to riot and murder in the name of their prophet.  What is worse, if he were thinking straight, he would realize it - which is a double-edged way of saying he is not a great President.

But you are still going to vote for him because he has a D by his name.  Good job.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

P.S. The New Blogger Interface Sucks

To use. I'm pretty sure to the reader it looks the same but trust me on this end of the keyboard it is stupid.

Well That was Gross

Listen to the children. Sometimes you'll get a valuable heads-up.

As we were driving home from church, VFDKitty was reported to have a tooth poking out funny. When we got home, she was brought up to the Master Bathroom (mine) where there are coincident bright lights and a big countertop. I had my Darling Wife hold the cat down on the counter while I held the cat's head. The poor thing had a lower canine tooth poking out the front of her mouth, with the upper lip resting on top of the tooth. I gave it a litle tiny tug and the tooth came right out.

The cat was none too happy about these shenanigans, but within a few minutes was reported to be back to cheerful and playing. My Darling Wife said "well that would explain why she hasn't been eating her food." I wouldn't want to eat anything either! I gave her 1/4 a baby aspirin in some peanut butter and she should be just fine.

Unless she's dying of somthing nasty with one of the symptoms being a tooth fall out. But more likely, she just snagged the tooth on a dog or something.

Friday, September 21, 2012

SOLVED! How I Installed a Fresh Copy of Windows XP on a Toshiba Portege M200/M205 Notebook Computer

As a computer-related thing to do, this sucks. I spent a couple of days trying to work around it and researching, trying to find out what would and would not work - finding out the hard way what did not work. This is what worked for me.

You will need:
  • Toshiba M200-series tablet/notebook PC
  • Windows XP license key (look on the bottom of the computer)
  • Windows installation CD (I used a Dell-branded OEM XP Professional SP2 reinstall disc)
  • Separate computer capable of booting from an IDE drive
  • Separate computer with Internet access, an empty USB socket, and a CD drive (can be the same separate computer)
  • (maybe) 3.5" to 2.5" IDE connector adapter
  • A USB flash ("thumb") drive
  • #1 philips screwdriver
  • Patience

Listen to the mustn'ts:

  • Nevermind booting from an external CD or DVD drive, that will not work for you. There are statistically zero PCMCIA optical drives that the M200-series will boot from.
  • Nevermind booting from an SD card. It can only read cards up to 1GB anyway, but you probably won't be able to get it to boot from an SD card. I tried using a Multimedia Card and it didn't work.
  • Nevermind making an image to copy on the hard drive, this way takes just as long.
  • The real kick in the stones: booting from a USB-anything is impossible
Here's What to Do:
  1. Shut down the computer and flip it over. Unscrew the one screw retaining the hard drive bay cover. Remove the cover
  2. Remove the hard drive. This is a 2.5" IDE drive. I had to look around for a computer that can boot to an IDE drive anymore.
  3. Install the hard drive in the separate "host" computer. You may need to use a 3.5" to 2.5" IDE drive adapter
  4. Load the Windows XP installation CD into the optical drive and boot into the windows setup program. You may need to change your computer's BIOS boot priority settings so the CD boots before the hard drive
  5. Load windows normally to the notebook's hard drive in the host computer. You may need the license key, depending on which version of XP you install, and who made your the computer.
  6. Let windows FULLY install. This involves multiple restarts. Do NOT let it install updates from the Internet, because you will just have to install them again in a few minutes.
  7. Boot into your fresh Windows installation and eject/insert the Windows installation CD.
  8. When autorun starts, tell it to install, then tell it to perform an in-place "upgrade" installation (NOT a clean install!) It will copy some files and tell you it needs to reboot the computer. When it says it is about to reboot, hit escape to allow you to shut down gracefully (vs. yanking the power cable).
  9. Shut down the computer. Remove the hard drive. Install the drive into the notebook from which it originally came.
  10. Boot the notebook. If you are lucky, it will wake up and recommence upgrading Windows WITH the components you need to operate the Portege, instead of the drivers for the host computer.
  11. Depending on the installation media and the brands of the computers, you may have to use the Windows license key to proceed. I gave it a Tablet PC Edition key and it changed from Dell XP Pro to Tablet PC - very trick!
  12. You will not have any of the toshiba-specific drivers installed. Toshiba has ALL of these on their website. You will not be able to access the Internet from the tablet yet. Use your second computer with Internet access for the next step!
  13. For the M205-S810 (my computer) these are found here: Toshiba support website
  14. Download all the drivers to a USB stick.
  15. Install the drivers on the tablet. Start with the chipset and Common Modules drivers to let the others install properly. This involves dozens of reboots.
  16. Connect your network cable to the tablet and download all your Windows Updates. I had to download SP3 before Windows Updates would work properly.

Done. Enjoy.

********

NOTE:
This might erase all your files and programs. You need to back up your stuff anyway. Do it now, while you are thinking about it!

Legal NOTE: I don't know if all these shenanigans are strictly in accordance with the Microsoft End User License Agreement, and I really don't care. I started with a tablet running this same OS, but had to wipe it to preserve confidentiality of a customer's data. I ended with a tablet running an installation of Windows that was activated with the key on the bottom of the computer.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Welcome to the Soviet Union

The United Soviet States of America, where the press does what the government wants, because the press works for the government!

President Obama said he is for redistribution of wealth. Came right out and said it, he did! The Washington Post called the White House and they admitted it was him, but NBC News won't air the damning tape until they authenticate it. And don't hold your breath waiting for them to authenticate it.

The Fast and the Furious is a public relations nightmare for the Obama administration . . . if the Public knows about and believes the story. So it is very helpful for prominent bloggers to poo-pooh and spin the story in convincing fashion. What better way for the blogosphere to be sure to stay on-message than to coordinate their stories in e-mail communications with the Department of "Justice"?

Remember children, the ends justify the means for the leftist, and that includes perverting the press into an organ of the State so the leftist at the head of the State is held in high esteem by the general public!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Let's Hope He's Wrong (for a change)

Mish has called an electoral college landslide for Obama. God forbid!

Not A Problematic Economic Situation At ALL!

In addition to shadow bankers disappearing/committing suicide/going bankrupt/leaving the country, China's economy is in the middle of another body blow.

Say you're a Chinese businessman "needing" a loan. Go to the bank! No, not the shadow banks, a legit REAL bank. They have been ordered by the Communist national government to lend, regardless of your credit-worthiness. All they want is collateral. Tell them about your warehouse full of steel, and they'll give you a loan.

Well let's say your business plan wasn't as great as you thought. You end up in default on the loan. Here comes the bank looking for their collateral warehouse-full of steel. Except you lied, and there is no steel.

Or, probably, copper and other commodities. To say this is a huge problem is an understatement. Let's see if the Chinese government lets the banks take a hit, even on paper, or if bailouts become "necessary" to "save" the banks in China.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony

That wasn't art, it was Teletubbies on acid. It was the dumbest thing I have ever seen. -Jeff Ward, on the 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony

While going through some old notes, I found this quote. Ward sure has a way with words sometimes.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Does This Qualify as "Smart Diplomacy?"

"How could this happen in a country we helped liberate, in a city we helped save from destruction?" -Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Madame Secretary, this is a clue-bat. Our ambassador took your hit for you. Count yourself fortunate, although I fear he took the clue with him to his reward. They aren't grateful to you for your halfassed filibustering. They hate you. This is what you get for removing their impulse-suppressing strongman dictator.

Romney was right. It was because of weakness. Excuse me please for having listened to the open-mic candid audio recording of the reporters planning in advance how they could badger him for saying it, and how they would spin his responses against him. No bias there.

"We came, we saw, he died! LOL!" -Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Heckuva job, Hillary. You should be proud of how you established a democratic peace over there in Libya and Egypt.

********

For those who missed it, an act of war was committed the other day. Well, ANOTHER act of war. But the United States as a nation has decided to totally overlook the fact that we are currently engaged in fourth-generation welfare against islamists who obey the Sunnah.

Hint: you can't have legitimate victory until AFTER you have named -and beaten- an enemy.

Thanks, Lorax

"A tree falls the way it leans. Be careful which way you lean, kid." -the Lorax

As I lay awake it occurs to me that this idea has ominous implications for America because half of us pay no income tax. Fortunately that is the half less-inclined to vote but the margin is shrinking. This is why I'm not blogging as much any more. President Obama has cost me my hope. The country is doomed, whether Romney or Obama goes in, and if Romney goes in you can argue it will get worse FASTER. I already told you don't be surprised at anything that happens after they elect a socialist to the whitehouse. Rage against it all you like, Obama is an idealogue and he'll do what he "thinks" is "fair". If Mittens gets in I think I'll pick it up more, because there is hope that he can be persuaded. Okay, it is certain he can be persuaded and if you keep his phone ringing he'll do what is right. That is, after all, his platform: "you like that oh I like that too!" But Democrats have phones to call him also.

Romney: for big government, for gun control, and just came out and said he would KEEP parts of obamacare. Of course, we can't call it Romneycare because they already call in Massachusetts the bankrupt system he set up there as Governor. All we need is this guy with a compliant House and Senate. At least Obama would likely face four years of gridlock.

Also: waking up to noises and smells of a dog having messed the bed is not great, especially when you've just finished sleeping enough to not be sleepy any more, three hours before time to wake up at the start of a long day.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

IF You Had a Sketchy Few Minutes There

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
[snip]
---you'll be a Man, my son!

You know it's a rough morning when Kipling is instructing you in manhood before 07:00. Well, it was a rough ten minutes, anyway. The morning is barely starting.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Don't Tell ME What To Compound, Sister.

Every once in a while I rub up against the government in a way that makes me want to scream and commit acts of violence against people just trying to do their jobs. I went with #2 and #3 to get my usual "your largest quantity generic 30mg pseudoephedrine tablet" at the local pharmacy counter and the girl asked me who it was for, as I was paying. I indicated it was for #2 and #3, and she was thrown totally off her game. She asked how old #2 is and I told her.

She came back with a timid " . . . well, you know he has to be at least 12 years of age . . . "

I told her " . . . or I could give him the liquid preparation (that they carry on the shelf above the box of pills I'm buying) or I could grind it up and give it to him in something else like y'all would do."*

she continues to ring me up as I am pretty obviously not having any of her jive and very obviously over 12 years of age, but she says " . . . but . . . he has to be at least 12 . . . "

After we exited the store, I did a little brainwashing against unreasoning government that started with "that lady said she wants you to suffer with allergies for four more years . . . "

********

*What I also could have said was: "Excuse me but I can't help noticing you are rather young. Perhaps it has escaped your notice, but current recommendations and guidelines for administration of pseudoephedrine to children are based on questionable science and unquestionably bad legislation, due to kneejerk politics instead of logic. When you were still in high school, I would come into this very store and purchase -(turn around and point) right off that shelf over there- a tiny bottle called Infants' Tylenol Cold that was magic when used as directed on THIS boy (point at #2) when he was a few MONTHS old. I know that people are stupid and can't think, but I am not people I am a Person and a Man besides, and I know how to calculate doses based on weight just fine, and I read my labels to make sure I don't give anyone a fatal dose of anything. Which would be a neat trick with sudafed, now that this blessed wonderful drug is behind the counter and that crap phenylephrine which does nothing is on the shelf and the kids of America can't breathe. I happen to know for a fact that dosed by weight THIS kid (point at #2) takes one red pill and gets better. THIS kid (point at #3) takes half that much from (point at shelf behind counter) that bottle and gets better. Look at my face. See how the beard is cut, note the shape of the glasses. Remember this face and do yourself a favor. Never talk to me again about how old my boy should be before I give him the thing that makes him able to breathe.

But I didn't. One would hate to be escorted from the store for being mad at our Elected Heroes to the pharmacy clerk.

Mitt Romney Wins 3:1 Landslide Victory over Obama!!!1!

Borepatch puts more than his intuitive hunch to work and comes up with a landslide victory for Mitt Romney. I have said before, it would not surprise me to see a landslide win with very low turnout. Very, very low for the Democrats vs. moderate numbers for the Republicans. We'll see. If it weren't for the power over the rules made and enforced (or ignored) by the executive branch and the power to appoint judges, I wouldn't care about this election either way. Not that I don't care; that's just how big a Romney fan I am.